Notorious white supremacist Dennis Mahon faces up to 40 years in prison after being convicted in Phoenix on charges related to mailing a pipe bomb to a diversity officer who is African-American. Mahon, 61, was convicted Friday of conspiracy to damage buildings and property with explosives; malicious damage of a building by means of explosives; and distribution of information related to explosives. His twin brother, Daniel Mahon, was acquitted on a single federal charge of conspiracy to damage buildings and property. The mostly white jury determined the bombing was not a hate crime.

The pipe bomb was mailed in February 2004 to Don Logan, who was then director of the Office of Diversity and Dialogue for the city of Scottsdale, near Phoenix. The bomb exploded when Logan opened the package, badly injuring him. Two other employees sustained lesser injuries.

“I’m happy with the guilty verdict against Dennis Mahon, and I understand the not-guilty verdict that was returned against Daniel Mahon,” Logan told Hatewatch today. “I’m most disappointed with the lack of a hate crime conviction, given the evidence that I observed in the trial.’’

One piece of evidence presented to the jury was a recording of a telephone threat that Logan received at his city office after he was quoted in a news article about a Hispanic Heritage celebration. The caller, who identified himself as Dennis Mahon, told Logan that a “few white people are going to stand up against this stuff.”

FULL ARTICLE: White Supremacist Convicted in Scottsdale, Ariz., Bombing | Hatewatch | Southern Poverty Law Center.